07 May 2005

Peter Hain was tonight named the Northern Ireland secretary as part of Tony Blair's Downing Street reshuffle.

Mr Hain replaces Paul Murphy in the post.

Mr Hain was previously the Leader of the House of Commons. As well as his new role in Northern Ireland, Mr Hain will have a separate role, retaining responsibility for Wales.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern paid tribute to Mr Murphy's time as Northern Secretary. "I wish to acknowledge the enormous contribution and dedication of Paul Murphy during his time as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. I wish him all the best for the future," he said.